Opposition leader Bobi Wine said heavily armed security forces were besieging his party headquarters on Monday and had arrested several leaders, on the eve of a planned anti-corruption march that has been banned by the authorities.
The action comes two days after President Yoweri Museveni, who has ruled the country with an iron fist for nearly four decades, warned that Ugandans planning to take to the streets on Tuesday were “playing with fire”.
Wine, whose real name is Robert Kyagulanyi, told AFP that the headquarters of his National Unity Platform (NUP) in Kavule, a suburb of the Ugandan capital Kampala, was surrounded by security forces before a planned party press conference.
“Our headquarters are under siege by heavily armed police and the military. This was expected by the regime but we are not giving up on the struggle to liberate Uganda,” he said.
Wine said several party leaders had been “violently arrested” but this was not confirmed by police.
Ugandan police spokesman Kituuma Rusoke said the deployment of the police and army at the NUP offices was made “out of security concerns”.
“There was intelligence… that there was to be a large crowd which had been mobilised to attend the press conference that could have led to disruptions of peace.”
Ugandan authorities have frequently cracked down on the NUP and Wine, a popstar turned politician who challenged Museveni unsuccessfully in the last elections in 2021.
“As Ugandans march to parliament to protest tomorrow, they should be aware that the regime is ready to shed their blood to stay in power but this should not scare anyone,” Wine added.
“We want a country where we all belong not for the few in power.”
– ‘Anarchic approach’ –
On Saturday, Ugandan police said they had informed organisers that they would not permit Tuesday’s march, which has been organised on social media by young Ugandans with the hashtag #StopCorruption.
“Some elements have been planning illegal demonstrations, riots,” Museveni said in a televised address later that day.
“You are playing with fire.”
